Veterinarian Phan Đắc Mậu Đại with the elephants that he treated. Photo tienphong.vn

LÂM ĐỒNG –  For 13 years, veterinarian Phan Đắc Mậu Đại in Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) has roamed through villages, circuses and zoos persuading organisations and individuals to transfer or sell animals that need better care.

Đại, 46, who lives in Hiệp An Commune in Lâm Đồng Province's Đức Trọng District, is known for bringing endangered wild animals back to life.

He started his special job in 1997 when he graduated from a veterinary college and began working at a tourism facility that housed animals in Lâm Đồng Province.

At the facility, Đại was assigned to care for the health of the animals, especially the elephants in captivity.

This was where he began to understand the health challenges facing elephants in captivity and the difficulties they encountered.

After continuing his studies in veterinary medicine at the University of Agriculture and Forestry in HCM City, Đại gradually realised that his mission was not only to treat animals, but also to rehabilitate rare animals for conservation efforts.

In 2002, while examining a group of animals at a company, a stranger from a tourist site in Đà Lạt approached him and asked for help in treating an old elephant suffering from gastrointestinal disease.

"For weeks before that, the elephant had been in critical condition, but no one could offer an effective treatment. When the owner sought me out, money was no longer an issue; he just wanted the elephant saved," Đại recalled.

It only took Đại three days to help the elephant fully recover and resume eating normally.

"When I was called in to treat the elephant, the owner only asked if it could be saved and said money was no object. I diagnosed the disease and promised to save the elephant within five days,” Đại told tienphong.vn.

“However, after just three days of treatment, the elephant had recovered and was eating normally," the veterinarian recalled.

As a result, he was rewarded with VNĐ50 million (US$2,000) by the elephant’s owner, a sum equivalent to around seven taels of gold at that time.

The funds were not only a reward for his work but also an opportunity for him to embark on a longer journey in wildlife conservation.

By 2005, Đại heard about another elephant in Đắk Lắk that was seriously ill and was being put up for sale.

Although he knew that buying an elephant was a risky decision, he did not hesitate to mortgage his house and land to borrow VNĐ100 million ($4,000) to buy the elephant and bring it to his farm for care.

“Caring for the elephant was not easy, as it was blind in both eyes, a fact that the previous owner had not disclosed,” Đại said.

This revelation shocked Đại, but he did not give up; he decided to hire the former owner's staff to help care for the elephant.

After a few years, the elephant started to recover and adapted to its new owner and environment.

Sanctuary for endangered animals 

People visit Đại's zoo. Photo tienphong.vn

In 2005, Đại decided to quit his job at the tourism company and shift to coffee cultivation and real estate. He also began working on building his own zoo.

Two years later, Đại heard about another elephant in the neighbouring province of Gia Lai that had collapsed in the forest due to exhaustion, so he went to rescue it.

Upon his arrival, the sight of the elephant -- which was too weak to stand -- deeply moved him. He immediately processed the necessary paperwork to bring the elephant to his farm and named it Bắc On.

It turned out that Bắc On was suffering from neurological damage. To help this elephant recover, Đại devised a special treatment plan that lasted several months.

"Around 17 years ago, my experience in caring for elephants was scarce. Handling and restraining a large animal like an elephant were very difficult. Bắc On was a wild elephant, so it had to be placed in a semi-wild environment to stimulate its immune system," Đại explained.

According to the veterinarian, every time Bắc On became agitated, the entire farm struggled to help it for hours. Due to its large size and strength, Bắc On rampaged, frightening everyone.

"In those moments, I had to urgently call all the staff to douse it with water. After a while, Bắc On gradually calmed down,” Đại said.

“Currently, I have one elephant that is blind in both eyes and Bắc On, who are the two oldest elephants in the group of seven on the farm. Their health is under control, and their nutritional needs are well taken care of, so both are in good shape," he noted enthusiastically.

Đại also started caring for many other types of animals in his shelter. In 2010, he became the sole person in the province to own two tigers, each weighing several hundred kilogrammes.

He purchased this pair of tigers from a zoo in HCM City that was struggling with their care and sought a qualified entity for the transfer.

Once again, Đại mortgaged his family's land ownership certificate to borrow a large sum of money.

Driven by his passion for wildlife conservation, he was willing to take on any risks to ensure the safe transfer and care of these majestic creatures.

Currently, his zoo is home to nearly 1,000 rare animals, including seven elephants, two tigers, crocodiles, gibbons and civets.

The civet population, which initially had only two individuals, has now grown to 40, thanks to successful breeding efforts.

"All the animals in the zoo have clear origins and meet the necessary conditions for captivity. The Lâm Đồng Provincial Forest Protection Department has also facilitated my efforts to experiment with breeding, conserve valuable gene pools and develop these species," Đại said.

A leader of Hiệp An Commune confirmed that Đại's family's breeding and conservation activities are all licensed by the relevant authorities and comply strictly with legal regulations.

The facility has also created stable jobs for more than 40 local workers, he said. VNS